Bill Text: TX SB2713 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to preventing discrimination in membership in a professional or trade association.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2025-05-21 - Left pending in committee [SB2713 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB2713-Engrossed.html
| By: Middleton | S.B. No. 2713 | |
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| relating to preventing discrimination in membership in a | ||
| professional or trade association. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 5, Business & Commerce Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Chapter 121 to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 121. DISCRIMINATION BY PROFESSIONAL OR TRADE ASSOCIATION | ||
| PROHIBITED | ||
| Sec. 121.001. DENIAL OF MEMBERSHIP OR SERVICES. (a) A | ||
| professional or trade association may not deny a person access to or | ||
| membership or participation in the association because of race, | ||
| color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national | ||
| origin or because of the person's exercise of the person's freedom | ||
| of speech or assembly, notwithstanding any provision of the | ||
| association's bylaws. | ||
| (b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a professional or trade | ||
| association may deny a person access to or membership or | ||
| participation in the association because the person has engaged in | ||
| speech that: | ||
| (1) directly incites criminal activity; | ||
| (2) constitutes a specific threat of violence against | ||
| a person because of the person's race, color, disability status, | ||
| religion, familial status, national origin or ancestry, age, sex, | ||
| or status as a peace officer or judge; or | ||
| (3) otherwise constitutes unlawful speech. | ||
| (c) This chapter does not apply to a professional or trade | ||
| association whose membership or participation in the association is | ||
| exclusively based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, | ||
| familial status, or national origin. | ||
| Sec. 121.002. PRIVATE CAUSE OF ACTION. (a) A person | ||
| aggrieved by a violation of Section 121.001 may bring an action | ||
| against the professional or trade association for injunctive relief | ||
| or damages. | ||
| (b) The court may award court costs and reasonable | ||
| attorney's fees to the prevailing party in an action brought under | ||
| this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
